When Hell Freezes Over
by Lost In Rotation
Summary: Hell would freeze over before a Weasley ever invited a Malfoy to a family gathering. Set after the end of Deathly Hallows, less the Epilogue. Companion novel to Stranger Things.
1. Chapter 1

_Companion story to Stranger Things _

"Five more minutes," he mumbled when her hands began to run through his bed tousled hair.

"You said that ten minutes ago, I'm afraid," was her quick response.

"Yes, well," he grunted as he reached over his head for the closest pillow to pull over his face, "I am the king of procrastinating, if it pleases you to know." With that, he dropped the pillow atop his head, folding his arm over it to secure it in place. He didn't seem to mind that he sandwiched her hand against his head in the process.

"What would please me is if you would come join me in the shower," she countered as she tried to lift the pillow away from his ear.

"That will only lead to something else, and you know it."

She smiled at the thought. "You don't usually complain about what follows a shower."

"That's because it's usually sex."

"Who's to say it won't be this time as well?" she asked as she caught the edge of the pillow and yanked it swiftly. The pillow slid from beneath his arm, and she tossed it towards the foot of the bed.

"Ginevra, please," he protested, rolling over to face her. His eyes were wide awake, and she knew he had been pretending to sleep for who knew how long. "Give me some credit. I have had this date marked on my schedule for the past three months now."

"And I have been canceling all the other appointments you have made for today for the past six months," she reminded him. Her tone of voice hinted at how she wasn't too happy about the fact. "I thought you were tougher than this, I have to admit."

"Contrary to popular belief, I am not a masochist, Weasley."

She sat up in bed, yanking the covers away from him. If he was going to be difficult, she certainly wasn't going to make it comfortable for him. "Contrary to popular belief, Malfoy, this is not the type of fight which I enjoy. I have already told my mother I am bringing a plus one, and you are not bailing on me now."

He sat up and leaned towards the foot of the bed in an attempt to retrieve the missing sheets. "Correct me if I am wrong, but I never agreed to be your plus one in the first place."

Taking a moment to collect herself before she acted too irrationally, she practiced her deep breathing. She had been doing a lot of that in the week leading up to this particular day. "It has been two years, Malfoy. _Two years_. Of sneaking around, of lying, of pretending to be single. You _are_ coming."

"You, Weasley," he snapped, his tone beginning to match hers as they geared up for yet another inevitable fight, "are the one who wanted to keep it a secret. I just don't want to go to this bloody party, is all." Wrapping the sheet and duvet around his shoulder, he dropped back down onto his side of the bed, fluffing his pillow beneath him.

"Do not even think about going back to sleep!" she retorted, her red headed temper starting to show its color. "I swear on my wand, Malfoy, that if I have to go hang out with all my married relatives," as an afterthought she added, "and Ron," for she had almost forgotten about her youngest brother, "for an entire day at a wedding no less, I will not come back."

"Yes, well, then do make sure to secure the charm on the fireplace before you go."

"Argh!" she snapped, grabbing the closest pillow and smashing it against his head. He didn't flinch, but if nothing else she knew he would be upset about messing up his hair even further than his morning bedhead. With the stakes as high as they were, she knew she would not win this war in the bed. Climbing out of bed, she moved around to his side. Grabbing the largest handfuls of duvet she could handle, she stepped back and yanked as she moved, releasing the comforter as she went.

The thump hit the floor as she moved towards the bathroom. "Dammit, Weasley!" he shouted behind her. She chose to ignore him. It had taken her almost a month to fess up to Hermione that she had approached Draco against her best friend's judgment. It had taken almost a year for her to reintroduce him to Harry. And now she finally had the opportunity to knock out her entire family in one painful but swift blow, and he was too chicken shit to follow through. Typical.

She turned the hot water faucet as hot as it would go before collecting a towel and removing her nightgown. As she opened the shower door, a wonderful warm mist welcomed her. A hot shower would help calm her hot head. She just needed to rethink her strategy before the next battle in their war. She began to hum the newest Weird Sisters single as she stepped under the scolding hot stream of water. She adjusted the temperature until she could just barely tolerate it, and then she rummaged through the glass bottles in the corner nook until she found the coloring potion and set to work on undying her hair for the day.

She heard the bathroom door open as she worked the potion into her hair and afforded herself a smile. Perhaps her quest was not as doomed as she originally thought. When she heard the shower door open, she wiped the smile from her face and stepped back into the spray to wash the potion from her hair. A pair of hands began to work the lather, pulling her head back as he rinsed her long locks. She had resolved to keep her hair short when she first tried the style and saw how much it upset her mother, but he preferred it longer and she honestly didn't care one way or another.

"Weasley," he whispered against her ear, water showering down over his face and muffling the word slightly. "You don't want me to go."

"That didn't work the first time you tried it, and it certainly isn't going to work today."

"You are going to ruin your brother's wedding."

"My brother ruined his own wedding three years ago when he knocked her up and refused to marry her then." Her head rolled on her neck as he continued to massage her scalp.

"That's on a completely different scale than someone ending up in the hospital though."

If her eyes had been opened, she would have rolled them. As it was, she sighed. "No one is going to end up in the hospital."

"That's what you said about dinner at the Potters, now isn't it?"

She couldn't stop the smirk that crossed her lips, even though it brought hot water into her mouth. That certainly had been an interesting evening when she had shown up on Grimmauld Place with Draco reluctantly in tow. Harry had opened the door, taken one look, uttered a long string of curses, and slammed the door in their faces. The night really hadn't improved much after that. "Yes, well, I had been wanting to take a stab at that particular variation of the hex for some time, and he deserved it. But I won't go around hexing my brothers at a wedding. I swear it."

"I hate to admit it, but this time you aren't the one I'm worried about. Except that you might end up on the receiving end of one. I've heard about how you and your brothers 'bond' under happy circumstances."

She turned to face him, taking a step back to get the water out of her eyes. "Draco, I am tired of my mother setting me up on blind dates with sad men like I'm a charity case. I am definitely tired of going on those dates and having a miserable time. It's been seven years, Malfoy. It's not going to be that big of a deal."

"See, you say that, Weasley, but I haven't put the memory of our first dinner date with the Potters in my Pensieve, so I do actually know better than to believe that."

The fundamental problem with their relationship was that they were both too stubborn to give in to the other when they didn't want to do something or agree on a certain point. Most of the time, they argued until one of them used a mostly harmless hex on the other, and then they made up like rabbits for a day to a week depending on how bad the argument was. But this time, she couldn't devise a way out of it, and it troubled her.

"No," he said before she had the chance to speak again. "No, I know that look and I don't like it one bit. That is the look of defeat."

"Malfoy, I have to be at my parents' house in less than half an hour to help set up. I don't have time to go twenty rounds with you today."

"I don't know why it needs to be a fight in the first place."

"Well that's the problem, isn't it?"

"That I don't want to fight with you?"

"That you don't understand why I need you to be there today. My brother is getting married today, I've told my parents – who, by the way, and still convinced I'm single – that I am bringing a date, and you aren't coming. I know you are not close to your parents, but I would hope that you could still understand how that might make things a _little _awkward for me today. Are you really going to stand here and tell me that you cannot tough it out for one bloody family reunion?" She hadn't meant to bring up his parents. The words had slipped out before she even knew what she was saying.

"You waited a month to tell Hermione, Weasley. You waited a year to tell Potter. And now it's my fault that you want to tell your parents, after two years of keeping it a secret let's not forget, at your brother's wedding? I may not be the master of timing, but it's a bad idea and I don't want to ruin your brother's day. There are plenty of other days we could chose to ruin instead."

Her skin was starting to prune, and that was the last thing she needed today. She moved past him to turn off the faucet. His body moved to follows hers, conveniently blocking her way out of the shower. "It's an impasse, Malfoy, okay? Can we leave it at that? I don't have time to argue, or I am going to be late."

She circled around him to exit the shower and grabbed the towel off the rack as she rubbed herself dry with much more force than needed. He followed her out of the shower, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist. "Weasley, look at me."

"I don't have time to-"

"Hey," he snapped. He caught her hand as she dried off her leg and pulled her upright. She crossed her arms across her bare chest and raised an eyebrow as she waited. "Tell your parents that I had a work emergency come up. Once of the Wicked Sisters got poisoned at a show and I'm on call to keep an eye on their vitals."

"I'm tired of lying, Malfoy." She grabbed her towel from where she'd dropped it on the floor and finished drying off. "I'm tired of feeling ashamed of our relationship because I feel like I have to keep it hidden. And my mother is going to kill me if I am late, so I really need to go." She moved from the bathroom to the bedroom to the closet quick as a fox. Her bridesmaids dress hung where she had left it the night before, and she dropped it to the ground so she could step into it and pull it up.

"Can you please stand still for one minute so we can finish this conversation?" he asked as he appeared in the doorway

"The conversation is over." She hugged the dress to her chest with one hand while she began to pull the zipper up with the other.

"It obviously isn't, or you would not have so much malice in your tone when you said it." Watching her struggle with the zipper, he moved into the closet and spun her around. Grabbing the dress at the top of the back with one hand to squeeze her petite figure into it, he swatted her hand away and yanked the zipper up with one quick motion.

She gasped as the corset of the dress shoved the air from her lungs. When she did catch her breath, instead of a thank you she responded with, "You're getting my dress wet." She found her wand on the vanity where she had left it the night before and with a well practiced flick did her make up in an instant. Her shoes took longer, as she hadn't worn them in ages and couldn't for the life of her remember where she had left them.

"Weasley," he tried again as he continued to follow her around the bedroom. She knew ignoring him would only make matters worse as it bruised his rather significant ego – one of the traits that had not changed since his time at school. But she honestly didn't know what was left to say.

She disappeared into the closet again, rummaging around without success to find the elusive shoes. She could feel the time ticking by and cursed herself. "Weasley," she heard him call again he appeared in the closet doorway.

"I don't have time-" she stopped when she glanced up at him and saw him holding the shoes in question. He held them out to her and she grabbed them, shoving her feet into them and using her wand to buckle the straps. Successfully uncomfortable, she grabbed the handbag that matched the outfit the best and moved to leave the closet. Draco, however, stood in place blocking the doorway, his hands on the frame, his shoulders taunt and his pecs flexed.

She shot him another look she knew he didn't like. "If I am late to this blasted wedding, I swear..." her threat trailed off as she continued to stare at his exposed chest.

Removing a hand from the frame, he reached forward to push her damp, red locks behind her ear. "I had almost forgotten you are a redhead."

"I need to go."

He ran a hand through her tangled knots, then stilled it at the base of her neck. Pulling her towards him, he gave her a kiss that had her leaning in subconsciously. Then she caught herself and pulled away, ducking around him through the small space between his body and the frame.

"I wouldn't wait up," she told him, using her wand a final time to fix her hair before placing it securely in the handbag.

"But you are stopping by after the festivities." He said it as if he knew, but she knew he was silently asking her.

"I don't know," she answered honestly before apparating away.


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh, Darling!" Molly Weasley gushed when she saw her only daughter appear at the end of their front walkway.

Ginny responded with a tired smile, wondering how she was going to pull through the day without killing her mother. When she reached the front door, Molly caught her in a tight embrace. "The prodigal daughter returns!"

"Mum, please. I was just here a week ago."

"Try three weeks ago," her mother corrected. Had it really been that long? Now that she thought about it, it actually did sound right. "So where is this mysterious boyfriend?"

The Wicked Sisters lie sat on her tongue, but she couldn't bring herself to say it, even though it would have made her life a hell of a lot easier. Ginny escaped from her mother's grasp and moved into the house. "Oh yeah," she commented, trying to sound as aloof as possible, "he isn't coming."

"Ginevra," the scolding began almost immediately as Molly closed the door behind them.

"Yes Mum, I know it's a disappointment. I'm a disappointment. I've heard it before. Now where is that bugger?" she asked as she moved through the house looking for the brother of the hour.

"Ginevra," her mother called after her, clearly not happy.

"Hermione!" she called out far too loudly as she entered the kitchen and found Hermione talking to Fleur.

Hermione glanced up from her conversation. Her smile quickly turned to a puzzled frown when she saw Ginny enter the room with her mother as the only person on her trail.

"Ginevra, you _told_ us he was coming. We have a place set for him and a seat saved for the ceremony."

Ginny's temper flared for what she figured would not be the last time of the day. "Yes, well, Mum, he isn't here."

Hermione gave her an understanding, sympathetic look which only made her feel worse.

"For heaven's sake, it's your brother's wedding! If things with this gentleman are as serious as you claim, then I don't understand why he couldn't come."

"Mum, please." She rubbed her temples and tried to keep from screaming. It was still so early in the day, and she didn't want to cause a large commotion before the wedding even began. Fleur stood as Ginny approached and the two girls embraced in a hug. Fleur's extra squeeze before she released Ginny didn't make matters better either, though she understood where Fleur was coming from. No one wanted to be on the receiving end of Molly Weasley's rampaging path when she got worked up. Ginny's hot temperament wasn't inherited from her father, after all.

"Will he be joining us later?" Molly pressed on.

"He. Is. Not. Coming." She ground her teeth together as she tried to find someone else to hug.

Luckily, a loud "Oi!" interrupted the ensuing argument and Ginny gravitated immediately towards it.

"Ron!" she exclaimed at the sight of him. She practically ran to him, grabbing him into a bear hug. "Do not let me out of your sight tonight or I swear Mum and I will come to blows," she muttered against his ear before she pulled away. "Blimey, you are looking good. Charlie is keeping you in shape out there doing whatever it is that you're doing these days."

"Well, I just finished telling Mum and Dad, but I'm actually hanging up my dragon hat."

"What?" Ginny asked, not sure if she had heard him right. She never thought it would have suited him well, but for the past four years he had seemed to enjoy it, and it had certainly kept his mind off of his loss of Hermione.

"On a whim, I tried out for Quidditch again, and I got a position with the Cannons, so I start training in a week."

"Well, fuck." Leave it to the other social outcast in the family to come home with amazing news. She wondered if it was too late to leave, before George caught sight of her. She could always wish him a lifetime of happiness when he returned from his honeymoon and she saw him at the shop. Ron gave her a queer look, and Ginny plastered a smile on her face. "By which I of course mean that is the best news I've heard all month. You'll have to come over to dinner when you're in town. I feel like we have so much catching up to do. And you'll have to drop by the shop when you next get the chance. You won't believe how much it's changed."

"Speaking of catching up and changes, where is this mystery bloke?"

Ginny pulled away and crossed her arms across her chest. She wondered who – Harry, George, or her mother – had blabbed about the boyfriend first.

"Yeah," she dragged out the syllable, "he couldn't make it after all."

"Oh no."

"Oh yes. So, as I said, do not leave me alone with Mum or wands will be brought out."

"I figured if there was anyone who could drag some poor bastard to one of these family shindigs, it would be you."

"Well, I can't hardly imagine who else in the family would even try. I mean, I will admit I had my doubts about Percy there for a while, but if Audrey is any proof… And where is your lucky escort for tonight?"

"Please, as if I would be daft enough to bring someone to this trial by fire."

Ginny looped her arm through her brother's. "Then solidarity of the Ya Ya whateverhood!" she exclaimed. "Now lead me to the liquor, my friend. We are about to become acquainted in the biblical way."

"I do hope you mean you and the liquor."


	3. Chapter 3

The ceremony was unbelievably beautiful. Luna went all out in her typical loony fashion, and Ginny had no doubt that her dress and veil would make front page of at least a few of the papers in the morning. George looked considerably paler than when she had seen him at the shop just two days before. For a moment she wondered if he had made the mistake of testing one of their developmental products too close to the wedding, but as the ceremony continued, Ginny realized it was just old fashioned nerves. Which was silly really, as he was already as committed as it could get. After being with Luna for five years and having a two year old daughter, the wedding was more of a family mandated formality than anything else.

After the ceremony, they dispersed for pictures, and Ginny politely ignored her mother's whispered prying as they stood for one family portrait after another. A trip to St. Mungo's was almost required when the children gathered for their group photo, but luckily the gnome Ron and Ginny had snuck in was discovered by Bill just before he could cause any trouble, and they gave him the heave ho for old time's sake. Ginny practically dissolved into tears when it was her turn for a photo with George, Luna, and Roxanne. George caught her in an impromptu hug and she held on while she tried to keep her emotions in check. She knew George extended the hug for the same reason as their thoughts turned to Fred. Tears pricked her eyes then, and she had to pull away and excuse herself for some air.

She found an empty table away from the crowd and sat where she could watch the gathered group of family and close friends. It seemed every time they gathered for an event such as this one or a large holiday, the group grew bigger and bigger in numbers, but it never seemed to fill the void she felt when she remembered the one missing red head in the crowd. Thinking of her brother made her yearn for another drink, but she would be damned if she let herself get knackered at George's wedding and make a mess of things. Especially after what had happened at Percy's wedding. That story was still brought up when everyone wanted to embarrass her around the holidays, and she certainly wasn't going to add another similar story to this event.

She must have sent out a wave of loneliness, because her mother found her far too quickly. With a mug of firewhisky in hand, Molly sat down next to her and offered her the mug as a bit of a peace offering. Ginny gladly accepted it. "I remember when I used to have to charm this to look like butterbeer to sneak it into the house, and now here we are, my mum handing me a mug of it."

"You did what?"

"What? Nothing," she retorted quickly, gulping down a swig to shut her big mouth. She'd forgotten she'd never once been caught.

"So what's he like?" Molly asked, her eyes watching her son and her newest daughter-in-law dancing with their daughter.

"Who?"

"This mysterious boyfriend of yours that couldn't be bothered to join us today for this very special occasion."

Staring down into her mug, she studied her reflection off the surface of the liquid. "He's… different than what I thought I wanted," she confessed. "Growing up, I wanted the dangerous type. Not necessarily the bad boy, but someone who lived their life full of adventure and danger. Someone like Harry, at the time. But then I met him, and he's different than that. Don't get me wrong, he has a bit of a wild past," perhaps the understatement of a lifetime, "and he still has an edge to him that makes an appearance every once in a while, but he's a good man. And honest man."

"But Harry was those things too, dear."

And there it was. Ginny took another drink from her mug. Molly Weasley would perhaps never get over the fact that Harry Potter ended up with Hermione Granger, especially since Ginny was the one to dump Harry and not vice versa. Molly had always treated Harry like a son, and Ginny secretly thought her mother resented her for taking away that possibility and letting Harry marry Hermione instead of her.

"Harry and I are better off as friends, Mum. And I think, deep, deep down a part of him has always loved Hermione as more than just a friend. What Harry and I had was that young, first love type of love."

"So it's different with this one? This is the one you can see yourself settling down with? Starting a family with?"

This line of questioning almost made her wish she and her mother would just start arguing again. She felt much too young to make that kind of decision, and she wasn't ready to start planning the rest of her life at 23.

"I know George finally caved and got married, Mum, but that doesn't mean Ron or I am going to suddenly jump on board the wedding wagon. We've got plenty of time to figure out what we want."

"But you love him?"

"I like him," she replied. "We have fun together." The answer every mother wanted to hear from her only daughter. "I'm not ready to marry him, though."

"But what if you could find someone you wanted to marry, Ginny? What if I could help you find someone you love?"

"Oh, please don't start this again."

"You haven't even told us his name! You say you are going to bring him to the party and he doesn't show up. I just feel like you're inventing this boyfriend because I haven't set you up with the right kind of suitors."

"Mum."

"No, listen to me! I know it's tough out there, I remember what it was like before I met your father. But we know a lot of young gentlemen through your father's work, and-"

"Stop. Please, Mum, just stop. The truth is, I have been dating him for two years, ok? And I didn't want to tell you because I thought it would upset you, so I've played along and I've gone on these dates you've set up even though I knew it drove him crazy." Actually, they had turned it into a bit of a game that had been quite fun to play at first. Bringing out the jealous side of Draco Malfoy definitely made things more interesting when she returned from her dates.

"I'm tired of pretending like he doesn't exist because I don't think you'll approve. And in all honesty, if you got to know him, I know you would like him. He's a good man, Mum, which is why I wanted to bring him here today to finally meet you. But I think he's so worried about what it would mean to me if you didn't approve of him that he wouldn't come, because he didn't want to ruin George's wedding."

Her mother seemed caught up on the fact that she'd been dating him for the past two years, so Ginny charged along before the yelling started. "He's a healer at St. Mungo's. Really good at what he does, and exceptionally talented. He could have played Quidditch if he wanted, but he didn't want the fame. He's got a lot of skeletons in his closet that he's not proud of, but I think he's a better man for them, because they push him every day to strive to be a better person.

"And he's good to me, Mum. I was hesitant at first to date him," which was not exactly the truth. After all, she is the one who had set the ball rolling, though when they reached the point where they both admitted they were only hooking up exclusively with each other, she was the one that took some convincing to agree to keep it that way, "but I'm glad I did. I wouldn't give these past two years back, and I wouldn't trade a single day of it for a day back together with Harry." Again, not the complete truth. There had been some pretty nasty fights in which she wondered what the hell she was doing with him, but the make up afterward had – almost – made it worth it.

"You've got to let go of Harry Potter, Mum. He'll always be like family to us, but he's never going to be your son by marriage. He loves Hermione, and I don't love him."

"Oh, Ginevra, this isn't about Harry. I just want to make sure you are happy. Honest."

"Well I am. Honest," she mirrored the sentiment. "So he didn't make it to the wedding today. After what happened at Charlie's wedding, it's probably for the best anyway. I'll drag him along to the next family barbeque, and the boys can all beat the snot out of him then."

"Your brothers would never do that," Molly replied.

Ginny snorted as she took another drink from her mug. Perhaps her mother had blocked out twenty years of child raising, but Ginny certainly hadn't forgotten her childhood.

They sat in silence then, and Ginny had to admit it was nice being with her mother without bickering for a change. She wondered how long it would last.


	4. Chapter 4

The whispering went unnoticed by her for some time until it swept over a small group of the party. While George and Luna cut a rug on the make shift dance floor with what looked to be a majority of Luna's family, a small group stood and stared around the house towards the front walk. As Ginny finally gathered the courage to rejoin the group, she happened to glance in the direction of the whispers. Her feet froze on sight and she stumbled forward, knocking into an older wizard she couldn't pick out of a line up. "Apologizes," she stammered as she moved towards the gossiping group to get a better look, sure her eyes were deceiving her. "Shite," she hissed when she heard the name drift along the gossip.

Kicking off her high heeled shoes, for they were killing her feet anyway, she tore through the yard towards the figure standing uncertainly at the property line.

"What the bloody hell are you thinking, showing up here?" she snapped as she skidded to a halt in front of him, her feet kicking up dirt as pebbles dug into the soft underside of her soles.

"Uhhh... I was thinking you invited me, Weasley."

"Yes, as my plus one. Not as some creepy git standing at the property line, staring up at my family house looking a bit like a crazed man."

"Well, I wasn't exactly sure the best way to enter this type of party stag, so I was still out here mulling it over when you so graciously sauntered up."

"You need to leave."

He baulked at her demand, his jaw dropping in shock. "You have got to be fucking kidding me," he snapped with a dry laugh and a shake of his head. "I mean, you are kidding right?"

"I am not kidding. You can't just show up here and make a scene like this." She felt the sudden urge to burst into tears, and it was no longer the thought of her brother that did it.

"Was there any scenario in which I could have attended this event without making a scene? As that, if you can recall as far back to as this morning, was my major concern with attending in the first place."

"Then why in the blazes are you _here_?" she snapped. Angry as she was, she leaned forward and used a hand to his shoulder to hold her balance as she lifted her foot and brushed off the shards of rock embedded into her sole.

"Because you asked me to come and the longer I sat at home, alone, the worse I felt about not coming with you this morning. Especially because the longer I sat there, the more paranoid I became that you actually meant what you said this morning when you said you wouldn't be coming back. And I know you and I aren't always a picnic, but... well, you know."

"I was exaggerating, okay? You can wait up for me. I'll be there in a few hours. Just, for the love of everything magical, please-"

"Ginny?" the shout was muffled over the distance by the open air, but it was loud enough to shut her up as she spun around. The gossiping crowd had grown in size considerably, and her heart sank as she saw half her family approaching the group.

"My life is flashing before my eyes." Her eyes were certainly larger than usual when she turned around to face him again. Reaching forward, she grasped his dress robes in two fists so tight her knuckles turned white. "Please leave. I am begging you. You were right, I was wrong, this was a horrible idea. If my parents see you-"

"Little late for that, I'm afraid."

"Shite," she cursed again, racking her brain for the quickest concealment charm she could remember, only to realize her wand was still in her bag back at the table.

Then she heard her father shout, and she could swear she heard her mother gasp even from this distance. The short lapse in time without bickering with Molly had just ended, she ventured to guess.

He leaned towards her, likely to offer a few words of encouragement before they faced the crowds, but she shoved him quickly away. "If you try to kiss me right now, I'll throw up."

Ron was the first to reach them, his robes flapping behind him as he approached. Draco grabbed her wrists and spun her around to face her brother. If she didn't know any better, she would have accused him of using her as a shield. "Oi! Don't you lay a finger on my sister!" Ron yelled as he ran. "If you make any movements for your wand, I swear I'll curse you!"

Harry and Hermione were the next to join in. Ginny could see them pushing their way politely through the crowd, but knew there was no way they could catch Ron on his war path. Then Ron pulled his wand from inside his robe and aimed it at them as he closed the ground between them.

"Ron!" she yelled at him.

"Get away from that Death Eater, Ginny!" he yelled back at the same time.

She didn't move, and Ron didn't utter a word. When he reached them, he tossed his wand to the side, and with lightning quick reflexes he managed to skirt around her and tackle Malfoy to the ground. Ginny doubted the blow harmed Draco, but the impact with the ground was enough to knock the breath from him, which held him down for a moment as Ron raised his fist to punch.

"Oi!" Ginny shouted, tripping over the hem of her dress as she grabbed for his cocked arm. "Ron, I beg you, stop this before we ruin another family wedding."

"Another?" Malfoy managed to laugh out as Ginny struggled to pull Ron off.

"Not helping!" she shouted down at him. Harry and Hermione finally reached the skirmish, and Harry managed to pull Ron off of Malfoy and to his feet.

"Oh-" Hermione started, but Ginny had reached her limit for the day.

"Don't you even think about 'Oh, Ginny'ing me," she snapped. "It was your bloody idea to invite him!"

"WHAT?" Ron shouted, his face so red it matched his hair.

Ginny grabbed Draco's arm and helped him to his feet.

"It was also my idea to tell Ron before the party, if you recall," Hermione snapped back.

"WHAT?!" Ron shouted even louder this time, fighting the restrain Harry held him in.

"Ron, please," Ginny begged desperately as Malfoy dusted off his robes and checked for tears. "Just calm down. You are making a scene."

"A scene? A SCENE? Have you all completely lost your minds? Do you not realize who this _is_? Are you mad?"

"You see, I told you this would be like dinner at the Potters all over again," Draco grumbled as he straightened and readjusted his robes.

At that, Ron managed to break free from Harry's hold and turn on him. "You had him over for _dinner_? For DINNER!"

"Ron, please," Hermione pleaded.

Hermione and Ginny gasped in unison as Ron cocked his arm back again with precision speed and swung it around, catching Harry squarely in the jaw and dropping him to the ground.

"RON!" Ginny squealed in horror.

"Stole my girlfriend! Had the bloody balls to marry her even! Then let this trash into your house and didn't think to mention it to me?" Spittle flew in all directions as he glanced down at The Boy Who Lived.

Hermione stood frozen in embarrassment; Ginny shoved her brother out of the way as she yanked Harry to his feet. "You have lost your mind, Ronald Weasley!" Hermione finally snapped.

"I've lost my mind?" he spun his fury on her.

"Ron, please, you are causing a scene," Ginny pleaded again. "Mum and Dad don't know yet, and you are going to make this impossible for me to explain to them if you don't stop punching everyone."

"Don't know that for some sick, twisted reason you all are cohorting with a Death Eater? I think they might have an inkling now, Ginny!"

"Cohorting," Draco repeated with a smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Never heard it called _that_ before."

"Malfoy!" she hissed.

"What?" Ron snapped, clearly a little lost. Then his face began to turn an even darker shade of red, were it even possible, and Ginny swore she saw steam rising from the top of his head. "No. No, no, no, no, NO! Ginny!"

"Can we all just please calm down?" Harry asked as he fingered his jaw and squinted in pain. "I dare say people are starting to stare."

"Ginny." The word held so much anger and betrayal that she took a step back, actually afraid of her brother for the first time in her life.

"I swear, I was going to tell you. I was going to tell all of you. Today. That's why he's here." She cursed her hormones as she felt the moisture begin to gather in her eyes. It was turning out worse than she had expected, if that were even possible.

Ron turned on Harry, "You're okay with this? You let _that_ near my little sister?"

Harry spit a loogie of blood onto the grass, intentionally close to Ron's feet. "Need I remind you that your sister made it perfectly clear that I no longer had any business in her love life when she broke up with me?"

"Ron, I know you're mad, but please-"

"Mad?" he spun to face Ginny. "I'm the only sane one here. You're the one who's lost her marbles."

"Please just go back to the party," Ginny asked in pure desperation.

"Oh, Ginny, it's too late for that," Hermione whispered softly.

As a collective, the group turned to look back towards the house. The group of bystanders had grown massively in size. The music had halted, and everyone seemed to stare at them in astonishment.

Ginny spun back around to face their rather unwelcome visitor. "I swear, if you leave, I will do whatever you want when I get home. And I mean _whatever_."

Ron let out another roar of fury at that, grabbing Ginny's arm and yanking her towards the Burrow. He only got a step before Malfoy caught his shoulder and hand, shoving him roughly in the shoulder. Ron released her arm. "You lay one more finger on her in that manner, and I swear I will remove your hand from your body, Weasel."

"Are you kidding me?" Ginny hissed at him. "In what universe is it a good idea to threaten my brother right now? Hey!" she yelled in surprise as Ron grabbed her around the waist and threw her over his shoulder in one fluid motion.

"Ron!" a choir of voices shouted at once, but he was a man possessed. He marched her down the front walk and then turned towards the group until he found their parents. Despite her desperate pleas, he didn't stop until he reached Arthur and Molly. Then he dropped her from his shoulders and thrust her towards them.

"Bill! Charlie! Percy! George!" he called out.

At the mention of George's name, they all seemed to remember where they were. "Ronald Weasley!" Molly snapped.

Arthur tried to defuse the situation as he turned towards the gathered group. "How about an old timed jig? Band!" he shouted out. Grabbing his closest daughter in law, he caught Charlie's wife, Susan, and pulled her towards the dance floor where George and Luna stood frozen in place. The band struck up a fast paced number, but it took the group a while to disperse.

"Mum," Ginny started, but stumbled. She couldn't find the words to say. In what universe had she thought it a good idea to invite him here, now? And just when she had finally seemed to reach some middle ground with her mother regarding her love life.

Harry, Hermione, and Draco finally regrouped with Ginny and Molly. Ginny stood like a trapped animal, her focus shooting from Draco to Hermione to her mother and then back to Draco.

"Good news," she exclaimed with false excitement, "my plus one made it after all." Her nervous laugh died on her throat.

Hermione shot her a sympathetic look before dragging Harry away towards the dance floor.

"Oh, Ginerva," Molly clicked her tongue.

Of all the possible retorts her mother could have gone with, this one pissed Ginny off the most. Her brashness took control before her brain could interject. She caught the front of his robe and pulled him towards her. His hands instinctively found her waist as she pulled his head down to hers and kissed him.

"Weasley," he snapped as he pulled away. She was only making it worse, so many times worse, but control had spiraled away from her and she had no idea how to pick the reins back up. She could hardly blame him now for his offhanded comments earlier. It was a defense mechanism they both used.

He moved around her and awkwardly extended his hand to her mother. "Draco Malfoy, ma'am," he introduced himself. As if he needed any introduction.

Ginny stared at his extended arm for what felt like an eternity until, as if all the stars aligned at a singular point, her mother reached forward and took his hand in hers. "Son, I am afraid you have bit off more than you can chew with our Ginny."


	5. Chapter 5

"Draco Malfoy?" he asked as they worked what could barely be considered a dance around the other pairs on the floor.

"Yes, well, Voldemort was otherwise engaged for the evening, so..."

"Blimey, Ginny," he laughed, swinging her away and then pulling her back. His hand caught her waist and they continued in a shuffle around the makeshift floor.

"Have I apologized yet?"

"Only about a thousand times since he got here."

"I promised myself that _this_ would be the one wedding I didn't screw up."

"Well, you still have Ron's left to try for the perfecta." They laughed simultaneously at the thought of Ron getting married. He was still currently brewing in anger by his lonesome self in the kitchen. The brothers had given up trying to talk to him, and Harry was so mad at being punched that he wouldn't even step foot near the house.

"I know how nervous you were about today, and I don't know how I will ever make this up to you."

"Oh please. Luna was beside herself watching Ron try to win a fight. One of these days, he might get lucky, and someone might fall unconscious onto him." She laughed, but it made her want to cry at the same time.

"It's your wedding, George."

"Today wasn't for me, and you know it. I just got tired of Mum's constant referral of my poor 'out of wedlock' daughter. Do you know how long it took me to convince Luna to get married?"

"I kind of thought she had to convince you."

"Heavens no. I didn't care one way or another. But the whole procession of marriage seems so trivial to her that she didn't want to bother with the whole nonsense. So at least we got a story out of it if nothing else."

"Hmm. I have this nagging feeling that you're just trying to make me feel better, but I am going to take it because I need a victory today and this is as close as I'm going to get."

"Have I thanked you?"

She laughed. The song ended, but the next one began and they continued to dance. "For ruining your special day that you are supposed to remember forever? I don't think anyone has thanked me for that yet. Certainly haven't gotten Percy's letter in the post yet."

"For coming and joining me at the shop when Ron bailed. You single-handedly saved the shop, Ginny, and I don't think you realize what that sacrifice means to me. I know I don't tell you nearly enough."

"It was no big deal, George. Honest."

"It was. It is. And the fact that you brush it off only makes me feel worse about it. You gave up your dream to keep mine alive, and I'll never be able to repay you for that. You could crash a million family weddings and it would never matter to me. Mum, maybe, but not me. If you ask me, none of us have the right to give a flying flip who you date, so long as you're happy. You deserve to be happy."

"Stop it," she said as she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. "I didn't have time to do my makeup proper, and if I start to cry this crap is going to run all down my face. I look a mess enough as it is.

"It's not just your dream, George. It's a part of you. And it's a part of me now too." She couldn't bring herself to say that it was a part of Fred, but she knew he was thinking it as well. She could see the tears welling in the corners of his eyes. To give up Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes would be to give up the last tangible part of their brother they had left, and they would never be able to do that.

"I love you, Gin. And by George," his lame attempt at a pun made her chuckle, "if you love that Draco Malfoy, well then, that's that in my mind."

"I never said I love him. Let's not get crazy here."

"Right, because you would just bring any run of the mill date to the Weasley circus. Shit, you'd better go. Dad's on the approach, and Draco doesn't look armed."

"Right then," Ginny extended to her tip toes to give her brother a quick peck on the cheek. "Happy eternal bliss and all that nonsense." She could have sworn she heard him laughing as she bobbed and weaved through the couples on the dance floor.

"Dad," she gasped as she approached him just as he reached the table Malfoy had ostracized himself to.

"Just coming over to introduce myself to your gentleman caller."

Ginny dropped herself into the chair next to Draco. "I believe you've already met," Ginny replied.

"Ginny," her father warned. Though his voice wasn't as stern as her mother's and he didn't use her given name, the way he said it made her feel like a young child in trouble just the same.

"Father," she rebutted, matching his tone to the tee.

"Draco Malfoy, sir," he cut in, extending a hand to her father as he rose from his chair. Arthur turned to Ginny as if to question if she thought her gentleman caller suitable of a handshake.

As the time stretched on, Ginny leaned forward, "For the love of England, Father, please just shake his hand."

"Ginny," her father warned again just as Malfoy snapped, "Weasley."

Her dad extended his hand and shook Draco's. "Arthur Weasley."

"It's good to finally meet you under a... well, _less_ hostile situation."

"What are your attentions with my daughter, son?"

"Dad!"

"Do you plan on marrying her? Because, need I remind you, she is our only daughter. We are going to be a little pickier on our future son-in-law than we were on our daughters-in-law."

"Dad, please, I beg of you. Just walk away."

"I'm going to make a loop," he waved his finger around in a circle in the air, "to give this young man some time to think about his answer. But I will be back." He left without further ado.

Ginny waited until she was sure he was out of earshot before she turned to Draco and grabbed his lower arm on the table. "Slutty wedding sex."

"What?" he sputtered, caught off guard.

"You want to go see my childhood room?"

"Weasley."

"One time offer, and it has a time limit."

"I am not going to have sex with you in the room you grew up in with your entire family home. _Have_ you lost your mind? I thought Ron was just raving, but maybe he was on to something."

"Look, you toughed it out. You met my family. Can we leave now?"

"I haven't even met Bill or Percy yet."

"Eh," she answered with a shrug, "I'm not that close to them anyway, it's fine."

He stood and brought her to her feet. "Finally, you and I are thinking on the same wave – whoa, exit is that way," she pointed towards the front of the house as he dragged her in the opposite direction. "No. No, no, no," she protested as he dragged her onto the dance floor.

Taking her hand in his, he held it up at shoulder height while he placed his other hand on her waist. "Relax, Weasley," he said as he placed his jaw against the side of her head, "it's not going to get any worse than what Ron did."

"I think you are underestimating my family."

He pulled her closer, swaying slowly to the music. "I think you need to relax."

"Why are _you_ so relaxed?" she countered. "I may be the irrational one, but you are the one who can't keep his shit together when he's not in control of a situation."

"Oh, well, yes. I consumed copious amount of alcohol before I showed up. My buzz hasn't completely worn off yet. Besides, who's to say I'm not in control?"

"You showed up _drunk_ to meet my family? Are you completely daft?"

"Of all my personal traits, I think that is the one they cared about least today. Besides, I hardly think you have any right to judge me for getting drunk. If I recall correctly, two years ago you were the one that showed up at my apartment barely able to stand up she was so pissed."

"Still..." she closed her eyes as she rested her head against his shoulder. "And I wasn't _that_ drunk."

"See, not so bad," he whispered against her ear a while later. "Only half the people are staring."


	6. Chapter 6

She threw back her head and laughed maniacally when she apparated into his apartment hours later. First, she kicked the shoes from her feet. Then she headed straight to the bathroom, arms stretching up and down around her back trying to get the zipper pulled down far enough to escape from the dress she wanted to burn.

"Relax," he called after her as he pulled off his dress robes and hung them in the closet. She had the water running and was still trying to work the zipper in vain. He followed her into the bathroom after a minute, his hand sliding across her stomach and around her side until he reached the zipper. She sucked in her gut in anticipation as he pulled the zipper down.

"I have to admit, it felt good to get back on a broom again, even if it was the shoddiest broom I've ever ridden."

"Yes, well, a Weasley family gathering isn't complete until we've all knocked each other off our brooms at least once and broken something in the backyard. Although, it was nice that they refrained from dueling any tables or chairs this time." As she held the dress to her chest, he ran his hands down her arms until he caught her hands. Pulling them away, her dress fell to the floor.

He circled around her, his eyes roaming her body though he ought to have it memorized by now. He slowly pulled his shirt up over his head and tossed it to the side. She was not proud of the little sound that emitted from her throat as she took a shaky breath at the sight of his chiseled chest. Two years together, and she still found him completely irresistible. It wasn't fair, really.

"I had fun today," he admitted, his fingers tracing a butterfly trail down her arms.

"Yes, well, you bask in the misery of others – in this case, mine – so I can imagine you had a smashingly good time."

"Your family is an _utter_ delight, Weasley."

"Well, I'm glad you think so, because we are having the next round of Weasley family barbeques in two weeks when George and Luna return from their honeymoon, and you are coming with me. There's no way I've facing those lunatics on my own after what happened today."

"I would like the opportunity to repay your brother for the bruise on my jaw."

Ginny studied his face, squinting her eyes as she leaned in closer. Catching his chin in her hand, she tilted his head to the side for a better look. "You don't have a bruise."

"Hmm. Well, I'd like to repay him for one anyway. Even if it's just for old times' sake."

"I wouldn't stop you," she admitted, her hand moving to run through his hair.

His breathing hitched as he buried his head against her neck, his nose nuzzling the sensitive skin. A shiver ran down her spine as she caught the nape of his neck and pulled him closer.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to think straight, but she had one question in particular she was dying to ask him. "So what did you tell my dad?" she managed to get out. Arthur and Molly had cornered him again once the guests had left while Ginny, George, Charlie, Bill and Harry worked on pulling together enough broomsticks to get a scrimmage going. Her parents had refused to tell her what they talked about, they had only told her that they disapproved of her hiding the relationship and that they weren't exactly thrilled with her choice, but that they would give him the benefit of the doubt. Then Charlie had hollered over and pointed to her waiting broomstick, the rest of them mounted up already, and she had forgotten to pester her father again before they left.

She could feel his sly grin against her neck. "A gentlemen's conversation is not one to be gossiped about with women, Weasley."

"Malfoy," she protested, displeased with the nonanswer. But then his mouth captured hers, and his answer to her father was the furthest thing from her mind. She had been carefully and delicately withholding sex for the past two weeks now in an attempt to make him a little more susceptible to the idea of going to the wedding for the benefit of wedding sex, and he wasn't the only one it had affected.

She let out an uncharacteristic whimper as his hands caught her thighs and lifted her easily from the floor as if she weighed but a feather. Like a well-oiled machine, her legs wrapped around his waist and pulled him flush against her. He grunted against her mouth as he carried her backwards out of the bathroom, kicking her dress out of the way when he almost stepped on it.

"Careful," she gasped as she managed to pull away. "That dress cost way more than I could afford, so I am keeping it forever."

"Shut up," he snapped, his mouth finding hers once more. Her hands clung to his biceps, and as they flexed from supporting her weight, her legs turned liquid. When they finally reached the foot of the bed, he managed to lean her back and still carry her until he dropped her head onto the pillows. Without a moment's hesitation, he slapped her legs away to unravel them from his waist and then reached for her knickers.

"Don't you dare rip those," she barked as he grabbed the sleek material roughly and began yanking them off. "Malfoy!" she snapped when he paid her no heed.

He paused just long enough to meet her gaze. The look he gave her was almost animalistic, and it sent her heart on a frantic pace. "Seriously, though, that's my favorite pair."

He scooted towards the foot of the bed and yanked on the garment in question twice as hard, as if to prove a point.

"Just let me take them off," she complained, pulling her legs toward her chest as she reached towards his hands.

"Weasley," he snapped, pulling the garment out of her range before quickly removing them entirely, "it has been two weeks. _Two weeks_ of your constant teasing and abruptly ended foreplay. And I did not complain once."

She snorted as he started work on his boxers. "You complained far more than once."

"But I put up with your teasing, and now I am collecting on the slutty wedding sex I was promised for enduring your family today. So if you would stop with your bitching, it would be greatly appreciated."

He climbed back over her and lowered himself down. "I told you that offer was limited time only, and we are no longer at a wedding, in case you didn't notice," she retorted, but she ran her foot up and down the back of his leg as she spoke.

"Precisely. We survived, no one was murdered, and that ought to grant me a bonus round." The words were slightly muffled as he nuzzled his head into the valley of her breasts.

"Not until you tell me what you talked about with my father," she countered, her fingers clutching the hair at the back of his head. She remembered when he used to lose his mind if she so much as looked at his hair funny.

"Merlin's beard, Ginny, shut up." Propping an elbow next to her head, he slid up until his face hovered over hers.

"Thank you," she told him, all joking set aside, as he pushed her tousled hair out of her face.

"No need to be thanking me yet, Love, I haven't even started," he replied as he bent down to kiss her.

"I'm serious, Draco," she told him when he pulled away, her eyes searching his. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." His voice rarely included such tenderness, and it made her heart ache.

"I mean it." They spent half their time arguing and the other half with passive aggressive, sideways displays of affection. They never defined their relationship or their feelings, and it partly scared her and it partly thrilled her. But he had shown up today, and that in itself was definition enough for her. She wanted to know what he had told her father, wanted to know what he thought the future could hold for them, but she was okay with waiting to find out. This was enough, more than enough, for her for now.

"As do I," he assured her.

"I'm going to kiss you know," she informed him with a coy smile as she pulled his head slowly down towards her.

"It would be long overdue."

As their lips met and her tongue found a dancing partner in his, a bushy haired face appeared in the fireplace in the back corner of the room. "Ginny, I just wanted to apologize again-"

"For fuck's sake!" Draco yelled, leaning across Ginny to find the closest pillow not in use. Grabbing it, he flung it across the room at the fireplace. "What does it take for a guy to get laid around here?" he snapped.

"I'll try back later," Hermione stumbled over the words and the green head in the fireplace disappeared in a poof of flames.

"Come here," Ginny laughed at his pent up frustration as she pulled him back to her. Perhaps this was the definition of love after all, she thought as she finally made good on her promise.

_If you enjoyed reading Stranger Things and When Hell Freezes Over, please stay tuned for the companion story, This Life We Have, coming soon. Thank you all for reading and reviewing._


End file.
